A Tale of Two Friends
by Jadefleck
Summary: Ariana and Laurel are hardcore fans of Lord of the Rings. When they wish on a shooting star(during a meteor shower) to go to Middle Earth... well, things get a bit crazy. Includes: Two absolutely insane(as in the state of mind) OCs, OCxLegolas, OCxBoromir(IT'S SO FLUFFY!), violence and gore, and rough language(will be bleeped out). I hope you enjoy!
1. So Screwed

**Chapter 1: So Screwed**

Ariana

Hi there! I'm Ariana! Call me Ari, and you will seriously regret it! Call me awesome, and you get an internet cake! Anyways, me and my BFF, Laurella(she goes by Laurel), are seriously hardcore fans of Lord of the Rings. As in, we have crushes on the characters and pretend that we are actually in Middle Earth. Well, we found out that when you wish to go to Middle Earth, things can get pretty f-in' messy. Why don't we start from the beginning? During the meteor shower.

"Laurel! C'mon! The meteor shower's about to start! I don't wanna miss it! It's going to be so totally _awesome_!" I shouted, poking my head through the doorway.

I was staying at her house for the summer, and let me just say, she has a crazy cool house. She has a pool, a trampoline, a HUGE backyard, and, best of all, a GIGANTIC flatscreen TV. We would watch movies on it ALL OF THE TIME! So, I was holding a bowl of microwave popcorn, wearing my peace sign PJs and jumping up and down in excitement.

"Just a minute, Ariana! I'm almost done looking up our Elvish names!" she yelled back from her room.

Did I forget to mention that Laurel is obsessed with learning our Elvish names? I mean, we already know how to (sort of) speak the language! Isn't that enough? Apparently not. So, she ran downstairs, nearly crashed into me as we both ran outside, and sat down in one of her cushy lawn chairs. She was clutching a piece of paper excitedly.

"Ari! Ari! Check it out! I wrote them down!" she giggled.

Oh yeah, forgot to tell you that she's the only one allowed to call me Ari.

"Okay so yours is Gwaedhiel, and mine is Galasriniel," she said.

I nodded.

"Awesome. Now look! It's starting!" I insisted, pointing to the sky.

Indeed, white-gold lines streaked across the sky as thousands of meteors fell into the Earth's atmosphere and were then obliterated.

"Hey, aren't all of those meteors technically shooting stars?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah! How did I not realize that?"

"You know what that means?"

"Wishes!"

"Mmhmm," she said, nodding enthusiastically, "We should wish to go to Middle Earth!"

I nodded, too.'

"Yeah! On the count of three…"

"One..."

"Two…"

"THREE!" we yelled in unison.

"WE WISH TO GO TO THE WORLD OF LORD OF THE RINGS! MIDDLE EARTH!" we screamed at the same time.

There was a flash of light, and my vision went dark.

"Ugh… what happened?" I mumbled drowsily, rubbing my head and sitting up.

"I have no idea…" Laurel replied, looking around.

"HOLY CHIZ WHERE ARE WE?!" I shrieked, suddenly realizing that where we were WAS NOT LAUREL'S BACKYARD.

"I think our wish came true!" Laurel exclaimed.

We both looked down at our clothes. I wasn't wearing my PJs. Instead, I had on a light brown skirt, a cream blouse, and a pair of leather boots. I glanced at Laurel. In place of her pink kitten nightgown, she wore a greyish-white blouse, brown pants, and leather shoes. I heard voices from nearby.

"What was that, Sam?"

"I don't know, Mr. Frodo. Should I check?"

"If you think you should, Sam."

I heard the sounds of leaves crunching under feet and mouthed to Laurel _We are soooo screwed_. She nodded. Suddenly, I was looking into a pair of hazel eyes. I swallowed.

"Erm, hello there, sir!" I managed, trying not to squee in happiness like the complete fangirl I was.

"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously, looking at both me and Laurel in turn.

"I am Ariana Windchaser," I said, "And this is my friend, Laurella Nitengail. And who are you, sir? Speak!"

I saw Laurel roll her eyes.

"Samwise Gamgee. Why are an Elf and a woman travelling together?"

_He thinks we're travelers?_ Laurel mouthed. I shrugged slightly.

"Like I said, we are friends."

"Do you have a companion?" Laurel questioned.

"Yes."

"Can you lead us to him?"

He hesitated, unsure whether or not to trust us.

"Yes. Come with me."

We stood and followed Sam. I glanced at Laurel and saw, to my surprise, that her ears were pointed. No fair! She got to be an Elf and I didn't? Ahem. So, we emerged from the heavy underbrush and I nearly crashed into Frodo Baggins. That's right. _The_ Frodo Baggins. He looked at Laurel and I.

"Who are these two, Sam?" he questioned.

"Two travelers. They were the ones who made the noise."

I stepped forwards and curtsied.

"I am Ariana Windchaser, and this is my friend, Laurella Nitengail."

"We got lost in the forest."

"Are you two alone?" I asked, looking at Sam and Frodo.

Frodo seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"Er… yes."

I smiled.

"Would you like us to accompany you?"

Frodo exchanged glances with Sam.

"If you wish."

Laurel grinned.

"We will be more of a help than you might think," she said mysteriously.

With that, we all set off. Laurel and I stayed a little behind, whispering excitedly.

"This is _way_ cooler than the meteor shower!" I giggled.

"Yeah. Hey, I wonder if we'll get to be in the Fellowship!"

"Hmmm… probably. And what if we fall in love?!"

"Whoa. That's a bit weird, but I call Legolas!"

I rolled my eyes.

"I swear, if you start to like him more than you do already, it might get contagious."

"What are you two muttering about?" Frodo called.

I jumped.

"Nothing!"

I bit my lip, but got no response. Anyways, fast forward a few hours then… stop when Merry and Pippin topple into Frodo and Sam.

"Look, Merry! It's Frodo Baggins!" Pippin exclaimed.

"Who are they?" Merry asked, pointing at Laurel and I.

"We'll explain later," I said, "Right now, I suggest that we all run for our lives."

There was a shout and I could hear the sound of barking dogs.

"Like Ari said, RUN!" Laurel screamed.

Nobody argued. We all ran for our effin' lives.

"You two have been stealing, haven't you?" I asked the two redheaded Hobbits.

"Well, we wouldn't call it that-" Merry began.

"-More like permanently borrowing something-" Pippin continued.

"-Without asking," Merry finished.

I groaned.

"THAT'S STEALING!"

"We still don't know who you are!" Pippin exclaimed.

"IF YOU CAN'T TELL, THAT ISN'T IMPORTA-AIIIIEEE!"

I had forgotten what was about to happen, so of course I had to accidentally body slam Frodo, Sam, and Laurel over the f-ing cliff. Because things like that seem to happen to me a lot. What can I say? I don't like to pay attention.

"Ari… get off.." Laurel moaned, voice muffled by my arm(which was squished against her face).

I groaned under the combined weight of Merry and Pippin(who had landed on me).

"Once these two get off… Good God, who knew that Hobbits would be so heavy?"

Merry and Pippin scurried off of my chest. I breathed a sigh of relief and rolled off of the top of the dog pile. Laurel got up, looking more than slightly disgruntled, and brushed off her clothing.

"Why do I always have to be stuck in the middle? Why?!" she muttered.

"Because that's just what fate wants."

"You're really helpful, Ari."

I walked right up to her.

"Hey, remember this scene?" I whispered.

"Wait, _it_ comes right about now, right?"

"Yeah… three."

"Two."

"One."

"Get off the road!" Frodo shouted.

Laurel and I bolted towards the ditch. I tuck-and-rolled in, curling up under the root. I could feel Laurel squeeze in next to me just as the sound of hooves striking the earth reached my ears.

"We are so very screwed," I whispered to her.

She nodded.


	2. Meet Aragorn, Who My Friend Likes

**Chapter 2: Meet Aragorn, Who My Friend Likes**

Laurel

Well, since Ari has so kindly forgotten to tell you about our appearances… I will. I have elbow-length, firey orange, kinda curly hair, green eyes, and freckles. I have a slightly pale complexion and sunburn easily. Ari has chin-length, straight, pitch black hair. Her eyes are a lighter shade of green than mine, and she has a tan. She has no freckles. Anyways, fast-forwards to the current problem. So, there we both were, hiding from the Nazgul along with Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. How did we get into this mess, you ask? Read chapter one. Ahem. So, let's get back to business.

I held back a whimper of fear as a black hand clasped the root we hid under. Really brave, aren't I? I felt Ari stiffen next to me, trying not to move. My breaths were stifled until the point I was lightheaded. Suddenly, I saw something fly through the air and land somewhere away from where we hid, distracting the Ringwraith. It rode away. I swallowed. We all stood.

"The Black Rider was looking for something. Or someone. Frodo?" Merry asked.

Before Frodo could reply, Ari's ear twitched(she can wiggle her ears…) and she pushed us all to the ground. The Nazgul rode past again. Once Ari was sure it wasn't coming, she nodded to Frodo and Merry.

"Sam and I need to leave the Shire. We have to get to Bree," Frodo explained.

I nodded.

"Ari and I ran into them along the way. We're just tagging along. To protect them."

"Buckleberry Ferry. Follow me," Merry said.

He ran off. Ari and I exchanged looks, then we dashed after him. I narrowly avoided slamming into a Nazgul, screamed my f-ing face off, then continued to run, finally reaching the ferry. Ari, Merry, Pippin, and Sam were already waiting. As I expected, Frodo was still being chased. I leaped onto the ferry.

"Untie the rope!" Ari shrieked.

"But that means we'll leave-" Pippin began to argue before Ari slapped him.

"JUST DO IT!"

He raised an eyebrow, not sure whether or not to trust my crazy friend. But when he saw the (murderous) look in her eyes, he didn't hesitate to untie the ferry. As it floated away, Frodo came into view. I began to egg him on, shouting his name. The Black Rider was still after him.

"Come on, Frodo!" I yelled, cupping my hands around my mouth.

He seemed a bit confused as to how I knew his name, for he hadn't told us, but he began to build up speed. When he got to the dock, he jumped. Ari caught him and set him down on the ferry. The Black Rider stopped at the edge of the dock. It had no face that I could see, but I bet you a billion he/she/it/something/whatever was _furious_. Once we were far enough away from it, the four Hobbits turned to us.

"Now can you tell us who you are?" Pippin asked.

"I am Laurella Nitengail, and this is my friend, Ariana Windchaser," I said.

Merry and Pippin looked skeptical, but introduced themselves.

"So, now that we're all acquainted, how long until Bree?" Ari asked.

"Two miles," Merry answered.

Ari and I glanced at each other, then got ready for a heck of a long journey.

I f-ing hate rain. Why does it have to start storming at the most inopportune times? _Why_? It's just stupid. Okay, rant over. When we arrived in Bree, it was almost literally raining cats and dogs. Ari and I, having no cloaks, were shivering like crazy.

_This_, I thought, _is why people like fire so much. Probably why Jayla's a pyromaniac… I still don't know how she set that stupid fridge on fire. Don't really think that I want to know how, now that I think of it…_

I shook my head absentmindedly, smiling slightly. Pippin looked at me.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Laurel?" he asked.

For some reason, he had taken to calling me Miss Laurel. Don't ask me why.

"Oh, nothing," I replied.

He didn't look like he believed me, but he didn't ask anymore. That's when we found The Prancing Pony. At least we could get out of the rain. We entered the inn and were greeted by the barkeep.

"Good evening, little masters and young mistresses," he said, "If you're looking for accommodations, we've got some nice, cozy hobbit-sized rooms available, Mr…"

"Underhill," Frodo lied, "My name's Underhill. Can you tell Gandalf the Grey that we have arrived?"

"Gandalf? Oh! Gandalf! Pointy hat? Grey hair? Not seen him for six months!"

I sighed.

"What do we do now?" Ari asked, stealing a line.

Frodo shrugged. Eventually, we resorted to finding a table and sitting down. My eyes darted from person to person, examining everyone at the inn. For some reason, my gaze continued to land on a man in the corner… of course! I kept looking at Aragorn! Huh. How did I not figure that out before?

"So… your wizard friend was supposed to meet you here?" I inquired.

"Yes. But it is obvious that he did not arrive…"

Suddenly, Merry sat back down at the table, clutching a pint of… well… alcohol. Pippin stared at the mug.

"What's that?" he asked.

"This, my friend, is a pint," Merry replied.

"They come in _pints_?!" Pippin said, "I'm getting one!"

He made to get up, but I grabbed his arm and spun him around to face me.

"Whoa, whoa. You've already had half a pint! You're going to get completely drunk!"

"Don't worry, Miss Laurel!" Pippin said cheerfully as he pulled out of my grasp.

I groaned and shook my head as he bounced towards the bar.

"He's hopeless…"

Ari giggled, and I shot her a deadly look. That's when I realized that Aragorn was not only staring at Frodo, but Ari and I, as well. Weird, much? I nudged Ari and pointed to him.

"Why is he staring at us, too?" I whispered.

She shrugged.

"Maybe he's wondering why a Human and an Elf are travelling with four Hobbits," she said before adding, "Or is that normal in this world?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Excuse me? That man in the corner… who is he?" Frodo asked the barkeep.

I tuned out the man's explanation and watched Pippin get drunk. He was talking to some of the townspeople.

Suddenly, he blurted out, "Baggins? Sure I know a Baggins! Frodo Baggins, over there!"

Ari blanched. Frodo got up and ran over to Pippin, but the drunken Hobbit shoved Frodo away. Frodo, startled, fell to the floor, and the Ring flew out of his pocket… he caught it… and disappeared. Chaos ensued. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ari rush to Frodo's side. I realized that this situation was a bit too common in fanfics: The MC runs to help Frodo, then gets grabbed by Aragorn as well. I gasped and dashed over to pull Ari away, but it was too late. She was already being dragged up the stairs, along with Frodo. I cursed my bad timing, then ran over to the others. They were all clutching 'weapons'. I snatched some knives off of a table and we went after Aragorn. I opened the door and clutched the knives, not really knowing what to do with them. Ari and Frodo were by the fireplace. Ari was pale with fear, emerald eyes wide. Frodo seemed a bit calmer, he wasn't completely white like my friend, but his eyes seemed like saucers. They were HUGE.

"Let them go, or I'll have you, Longshanks!" Sam cried out.

"You have a stout heart, little Hobbit. But they are coming," Aragorn said.

I walked right up to Ari and glared at her.

"ARIANA OPAL WINDCHASER!" I said, using her full name, "DON'T YOU EVER, EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

She smiled and shrugged.

"I'm sorry. I can't help but act stupid," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

I sighed and shook my head. Honestly, Ari is _hopeless_…

A few minutes later, Aragorn had all the Hobbits in his bed and had made makeshift beds for us on the floor. He sat in a chair by the window. Eventually, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were snoring contentedly. Ari and I couldn't sleep, however. Ari could hardly close her eyes for more than a second. She kept making to sit up, but I pushed her down with one arm. That is, until Aragorn noticed this.

"Is there something wrong, Lady Ariana?" he asked, looking at my friend.

She turned her head towards the Ranger.

"Nothing, sir. Just can't sleep, is all…"

"You seem restless."

"I'm afraid that those… those… _Ringwraiths_ will come for us."

"You need not worry, Lady Ariana. The Nazgul will not harm you or your friends as long as I am here."

I could just barely see Ari blush in the darkness. I suppressed a giggle, realizing that my friend had a crush on the future King of Gondor.

"You can just call me Ariana, sir."

I couldn't see Aragorn's face, but I bet that he was smiling.

"If that is what you want, Ariana."

Eventually, I saw that Ariana was asleep. I grinned a little, then closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, I was being shaken awake.


	3. Nazgul Cries and Nursery Rhymes

**Chapter 3: Nazgul Cries and Nursery Rhymes**

Ariana

"Come on, Laurel! Wake up!" I whispered urgently, shaking her.

Her eyes flew open and the first thing she did was blindly punch me. In the face.

"Aaaaa! What was that for?!" I snapped as she sat up.

"Huh?"

"Oh my-you just punched me!"

She smiled, embarrassed.

"Sorry, reflex."

I groaned as she stood.

"We have to go! They're here!" I said.

She stopped smiling and her eyes narrowed.

"Lovely."

I rolled my eyes.

"The others are downstairs, waiting for you."

"Okay, okay!"

A few minutes later, we were walking out of the inn. I wanted to get a weapon of some sort, a few knives, maybe, but there wasn't enough time. I was scared, confused, and still kinda hungry. Laurel, for some reason, decided to recite nursery rhymes under her breath.

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall… Humpty Dumpty had a great fall… all the king's horses and all the king's men… couldn't put Humpty together again…" she mumbled, "Jack and Jill went up the hill…"

I snorted, thinking that Laurel had gone insane, then got an idea to annoy my friend.

"…broke his crown and Jill-"

"Pushed him out the window, the window! The second-story window! With a heave and a ho and a mighty blow, she pushed him out the window!" I sang.

Laurel facepalmed.

"Ari… what the heck…"

"Oh, nothing. Just doing my duty as your friendly neighborhood crazy person!"

"What are you two talking about?" Merry asked.

"Just me annoying Laurel by interrupting her nursery rhymes."

"Excuse me?"

"Nursery rhymes. They're little poems that… never mind. Just ignore us."

"…"

"Anyways, before you so rudely interrupted me, Ari…" Laurel said before she launched into the nursery rhyme again, "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after."

I sighed.

"What's the use in reciting nursery rhymes if I can't ruin them?"

"Oh, shut up."

She elbowed me in the side.

Okay, fast-forwards to Weathertop! Yay! Okay, not exactly… 'yay'. More like… f-. Because anyone with a brain who has read and/or watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy knows what happens. Not exactly a laughing matter. Anyways, Aragorn had taken us up to the ruined tower and given the Hobbits swords. Of course, Laurel and I had been ignored. I didn't feel like pointing this out. I was too frickin' tired. I curled up on the floor and squeezed my eyes shut, finding sleep immediately. I woke to Frodo's shouts.

"What're you doing?" he demanded.

I stared at the fire Sam, Merry, and Pippin had started, then at the food. Merry(or was it Pippin?) offered Frodo some food.

"Put it out, you fools!"

I stood and began to try and help Frodo stomp out the flames.

"You idiots!" I scolded the three Hobbits, "You might as well have told them where we are!"

"Them?" Sam asked.

"The enemy!"

My angry hiss was followed by the Nazguls' shrieks. I grimaced and covered my ears. Laurel was already up. She seemed extremely disgruntled. Her Death Glare of Doom was focused on Sam, Merry, and Pippin. As the shrill cries of the Nazgul filled the air, we ran to the entrance of the tower. The Ringwraiths were coming for us. The Hobbits unsheathed their swords and we ran back in. Before Laurel and I could protest, Frodo pushed us behind a pile of crumbled rock. I huddled against my friend, the metallic taste of fear filling my mouth. The Hobbits stood together in a tight circle, facing the walls of what remained of Amon Sul. That's when the Nazgul made their appearance. I had to clamp my hand over Laurel's mouth to keep her from screaming her head off. The creatures closed in on our companions, pointing the sharp ends of their swords at our newfound friends. Sam yelled and charged one of the Ringwraiths. He was shoved aside in less than a second. I gasped softly, forgetting what would happen for a moment. Merry and Pippin were pushed aside, as well. This time it was Laurel's turn to cover my mouth as I opened it to scream. Frodo dropped his sword and stumbled backwards, landing on his back. My breath quickened as he pulled the One Ring from his clothing. As the Nazgul cornered him, he slipped it on. I watched helplessly as the lead Ringwraith's blade sank into his shoulder, and Frodo's agonized scream pierced my ears.

"Frodo!" I whispered, mortified.

That was when Aragorn(thankfully) burst onto the scene, sword and torch in his hands. He began to attack the creatures. Sam scrambled over to his wounded friend. I wriggled away from Laurel as she made to hold me back. I crawled over to Frodo, joining the others. Laurel hovered behind me, too wracked with sobs to come any closer. She had always cried during this scene. Frodo was one of her favorite characters.

"Strider!" Sam shouted.

Aragorn came over to us.

"Help him, Strider," Sam said.

I heard Laurel's sobs rise in volume. I turned to her and tried to calm her down. I listened to what Aragorn said, even though I knew it by heart.

"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade. This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs Elvish medicine," Aragorn said, scooping Frodo into his arms.

I had to steady Laurel as she stood. Tears ran freely down her cheeks and her jade eyes were swollen and bloodshot from crying. I'm not going to go into detail of how we left Weathertop, then continued travelling nonstop through the night and part of the day. Laurel couldn't walk straight, so I supported her with a shoulder for a good portion of the walk. Her loud sobs had lowered to quiet sniffles, but it broke my heart to hear my best friend cry like this.

Even when Boromir died, she didn't cry for more than a few minutes.

Even when Gandalf fell, she didn't cry for more than a second.

Even when Frodo lost his finger, she didn't cry for more than five minutes.

I guess that seeing it actually happen, right in front of her face broke something in her.


	4. At Least We're Getting Somewhere

**Chapter 4: At Least We're Getting Somewhere…**

Laurel

Well, this has been quite chaotic, do you agree? I personally do. Let's recap, shall we? Well, first off, my psychologically insane friend enjoys corrupting nursery rhymes, and has apparently showed a caring, maternal side. I…. did not expect that. Normally she'd never do that. Even when her younger brother broke his frickin' leg she didn't care. She just told him off for climbing onto the.. well, it _was_ a pretty dumb thing for him to do. Also, Ari has a crush on Aragorn. Didn't expect that, either. She'd always said it was Frodo she liked, but I guess that now that we're really in the story… things change? I don't get it. It's not like I get straight A's in Psychology or anything. Does this even have to do with that subject? Getting _way_ off topic here… So, Ari was helping me walk while my jelly legs failed to support me. Because I'm that much of a wuss. I hate fighting. As in, if I were in the middle of a huge battle, I would scream until my lungs shriveled up, then proceed to run away. Far. Far. Away. What had I been thinking when I made that wish with Ari?! _Insert awkward cough here_. Ahem. I should get on with the story.

"Ari… I think I can walk by myself, now, thank you very much. I've been thinking that for a while now, as a matter of fact," I said weakly, looking at my friend.

She rolled her eyes. I had been repeating my pleas every half hour, and she had learned not to trust them.

"Not a chance in hell, my friend," she said, smirking at me.

"Why do you always have to play the hero?" I complained, "You always did this at home…"

She snorted.

"Hey, you're the one who suggested we come."

I sighed.

"I didn't-well.."

She smiled triumphantly.

"You were stuttering, my lady?" she joked.

I groaned.

"You know that I suck lemons at verbal wars."

"And that's why I always win."

"Miss Laurel? Lady Ariana?" Pippin called from up ahead, "What are you two arguing about?"

"Things that you shouldn't be listening to, Pippin. No eavesdropping, please," I replied.

' Sam seemed visibly shocked by the mention of eavesdropping, probably because of the incident in Bag End. 'I ain't been dropping no eaves, sir!'. One of my favorite quotes. Heh.

"This is our business, not yours," Ari added.

"And don't call us 'Miss' or 'Lady'. Just Laurel and Ariana will do."

Pippin nodded, then looked forwards again.

Skip a while… skip a-wait! Stop there! Yes, there! No, not there! Right now! There we go! Where Sam and Aragorn are going to find the Kingsfoil! Great! So, there we all were, worriedly watching over Frodo. Ari had picked up some suspiciously sharp rocks along the way to wherever the f- we were, and was placidly tossing one from hand to hand.

"Do you think that Frodo will make it till Rivendell?" I asked, gently placing my hand on the ailing Hobbit's forehead.

He was extremely feverish, and his eyes were an unnaturally bright neon shade of blue.

"If we make haste, Mi- I mean, Laurel," Pippin said.

I suppressed a giggle, thinking about how Pippin and Merry meet Treebeard. I bet that he would say otherwise. I glanced at Ari.

"Why do you have those sharp stones, Ari?" I asked.

"Defense, Laurel. I'm very good at throwing sharp objects, so they're my ideal weapon," she explained, catching the rock in her hand and twirling it, seeming bored.

I nervously regarded the object in question, afraid that it might miss her hand and instead get me…. I am really paranoid, aren't I?

"Sometimes I worry about you, Ari," I muttered.

Ari suddenly stopped passing the rock to and fro and stared in the distance at something. I followed her gaze and saw Arwen approaching us. I smiled a bit, knowing that she would help Frodo. I glanced in the direction that Sam and Aragorn had gone in and saw them approaching. Skip some stuff… stop right where Arwen is taking Frodo away. Ari had stopped tossing the rock and was watching, a hint of tears in her eyes. I ignored Sam's next line, it was just too depressing to think about it. The next five days were long, laborious, and kind of boring. Although, it _was _pretty cool when Ari managed to kill a squirrel with one of her stones. She has a good aim, and that scares me. Why, you may ask? Gee, she's well-practiced with throwing sharp objects… WHO WOULDN'T BE SCARED?! Anyways, we reached Rivendell after hours upon sleepless hours of walking. I used to run track, so I was used to the self-exertion, but Ari wasn't. When we were led to our room, she nearly fainted on her bed. I just laughed and sat down on mine. She looked up at me.

"How are you not tired?" she panted, still trying to catch her breath.

I giggled some more.

"I used to run track, remember?" I whispered.

She nodded.

"Oh, yeah.. our old lives seem so far away to me now, like they were just a dream…" her voice trailed off as her eyes drifted to look at the ceiling, "I'm not sure if it all really happened, Laurel…"

I sighed.

"Maybe it all really was a dream, Ari. An amazing, beautiful dream… Where we don't have to fight for our lives every day, and we have the advantages of indoor plumbing."

A grin spread across her face.

"Yeah, maybe, Laurel. You know that poem by Edgar Allan Poe we read in school? The one that hardly anyone understood?"

"You mean 'Dream Within a Dream'?"

"Yeah… I understand what it means now.."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm. The narrator doesn't know whether his life really happened, or if he was just dreaming… and his lover or something always told him that he was living a dream."

"Makes sense."

She splayed her arms out so that her hands dangled off of the edges of the bed.

"We've always been living a dream, Laurel. Everything that happened to us, never really happened. At least, not exactly."

I frowned.

"Huh?"

"Well, you see, we're all really sleeping throughout our lives, and-"

"Okay, enough with your conspiracy theories, Ari. You're going to make my brain explode."

"Can you two lower your voices? We're trying to get some rest," Sam complained.

I glanced back at him.

"Sorry, just having an existential discussion here," I apologized.

"We're trying to figure out if our lives are really dreams."

"What?"

"Long story."

"Well, can you talk about it quietly?"

"Of course, Sam."

He was lowering his head back onto his pillow when he stopped abruptly.

"Oh, who is this… 'Edgar Allan Poe' you mentioned?"

Ari and I froze.

"Well… he's a poet… and an author.."

"And…"

"I've never heard of him."

Ari swallowed. We were so dead.

"Erm… Well…" I stammered before bursting out, "He's not from this world and neither are we! We're from another world where this world doesn't exist and you are all fictional characters and.. and.."

I took a deep breath.

Ari took over, "We don't belong here. The only reason we are is a wish. On a shooting star."

"You probably think that we are completely out of our minds…" I grumbled.

Sam shook his head.

"I believe you."

"You do? Wow. I didn't expect you to say that," Ari said in shock.

"Neither did I, Lady Ariana."

I laughed softly.

"Now that we have that out of the way, we won't have to explain any odd behavior. Although we'll have plenty to talk about with Strider and the others."

"I guess so," Sam said.

Ari smirked.

"Well, if we want to wake up on the right side of the bed tomorrow, we should get some sleep!"

"I agree," Sam said.

"I second that!" I added.

Ari shot me an evil glance.

"Hey, Laurel, you're a good singer. Can you sing that lullaby?"

I blushed.

"I'm not that good, Ari…"

"I would like to hear, as well."

I groaned inwardly.

"Alright…." I cleared my throat then began to sing, "Go to sleep… and good night…"

Sam sat there for a moment in awed silence, then set his head on his pillow. A few minutes later, when I was done with the song, I could hear him snoring softly. Ari was already asleep. I sighed, wishing that I had a good book, then laid down and curled up into a ball. I fell asleep immediately, five days straight of walking nonstop finally taking their toll on me. I knew full well that this might be the last time I slept in a real bed for a long while.


	5. The Loooord of the Riiings…

**AN: Thank you for the awesome reviews! I luffles you guys! Oh, and get ready for Questions of Death at the end of this chapter!**

**Chapter 5: The Loooord of the Riiings…**

Ariana

Hihihi! Ariana here again! Where we last left off, we were asleep! I'm skipping to a few days later! So I woke up sometime in mid-afternoon. When I opened my eyes, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Laurel was all in my face, grinning like a madwoman.

"Laures…" I mumbled, rolling onto my face, "Go back to sleep.."

"Dude! Frodo's up! C'mon! Let's go see him!"

I sat bolt upright, then promptly tumbled out of the bed. I raced after Laurel, who was already ahead of me.

"Wait for me, Laurel!" I called.

Curse her and her track skills! Eventually, I caught up with her, but I began to lag behind again, growling obscenities under my breath. We found Frodo in a garden, then proceeded to give him tackle-hugs.

"You're okay!" Laurel squeed.

"Laures, you already knew that he would be okay," I said, smirking, "Oh, and you're strangling poor Frodo."

Indeed, Frodo was turning an unhealthy shade of blue. Laurel noticed this, blushed with embarrassment, and released her hug.

"I'm sorry, Frodo."

He smiled.

"It's fine, Lady Laurel."

Laurel cringed at the title.

"Just Laurel, please."

"Of course."

He gave Laurel a tiny smile.

"I have to go, Gandalf needs me."

He made to leave, then, to our shock, turned to Laurel.

"He also needs you, Laurel."

Laurel nodded, slowly turning paler.

"Okay, Frodo."

She shot me a helpless look as she and Frodo left for the council. Merry and Pippin seemed to materialize next to me.

"Should we go follow them?" Pippin asked.

I grinned mischievously.

"I thought you would never ask!"

Three minutes later, we were hiding and eavesdropping on the council. I peeked out from behind my hiding spot and saw Laurel sitting between Boromir and a Dwarf. She seemed extremely uncomfortable. I fought the urge to snort at her expression, which was a mix between confusion, disgust, and discomfort. My eyes flicked to Gimli, then Legolas, then Aragorn, then Gandalf, then Boromir, and then finally Frodo. The Hobbit in question had just placed the Ring on a pedestal. I turned my gaze away from the seductive object.

_No_ I told myself _No, I won't fall for that ring. It's just a stupid metal object. Nothing big or anything. Actually, it's quite small and relatively worthless, so what's the point in trying to take it? Besides, the only ring I want is a diamond one from my boyfriend. When we're old enough to marry, at least. Or one of those cute mustache rings you get in gift shops. They're cool._

I exhaled slightly and looked at Laurel. She was closing her eyes and muttering softly to herself. Lord Elrond began to talk about destroying the One Ring, so Laurel and I turned our attention to him. When Boromir said his 'One does not simply walk into Mordor' thing, I almost burst into a fit of crazed giggles. The fangirl does not rest, especially when the fangirl is in the place she's a fan of. I sighed as the council began to argue.

I glanced over at Sam and whispered, "They're acting as mature as my younger brother when you take his toys away…"

He smiled, but it immediately faded when he saw Frodo stand.

"I will take it!" he announced before quietly adding, "Though I do not know the way…"

Total silence before…

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," Gandalf said.

"If by life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword," Aragorn said.

"And you have my bow," Legolas added.

"And MY AXE!" Gimli shouted.

"You carry the fates of us all, little one," Boromir said, "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

Laurel stood and walked up to Frodo, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

"I will stay by your side, Frodo my friend," she said quietly, smiling, "Even if I do not make it back."

Sam burst out of the bush he had been hiding in/behind/something.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "Mr. Frodo is not going anywhere without me."

"Though indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you aren't," Lord Elrond said, sounding very amused.

"Wait! We're coming, too!" Merry yelled as he and Pippin ran out from behind pillars, "You'll have to tie us in a sack to stop us!"

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of.. mission… quest… thing," Pippin said.

"Well, that leaves you out, Pip," Merry whispered.

I laughed and came out of my hiding spot.

"Don't forget me!" I said, grinning madly, "Like Merry said, you'll have to tie us up in a sack to keep us from coming!"

"Eleven companions. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring," Elrond announced.

"Great. Where're we going?" Pippin asked.

THIS IS A DIVIDER!

Training. That was what we did for the next few days. I have a good aim when it comes to throwing stuff, so I decided to use throwing knives mostly. I would also use a sword for close combat, but knives were my primary weapons. Laurel, on the other hand, was a whole different story. She had to learn how to use a bow… and guess how ecstatic she was when she learned that Legolas would teach her? On the first day she was shaking like a freaking Chihuahua she was so excited/nervous. She's kinda good with long-range weapons, actually. To be perfectly honest, though, she's better with a sword than a bow. But I know that she'd rather not use either. Anyways, on the day that we were supposed to leave on, she was so scared that she asked me if it was too late to back out.

"Laurel, we're about to leave. Besides, none of us are going to let harm come to any of our companions. That includes you," I said.

I was totally freaking out on the inside. My fingernails were digging into the strap on my pack, and my knuckles were so pale they were almost translucent. Inside the pack were some bare essentials, along with quite a few knives. Laurel looked close to crying. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"We know what's going to happen, Laurel. Calm down."

"I know that, Ari. We know what happens to the others… But we don't know what happens to us. What if our presence here has totally screwed things over and now things are different? What if-"

I looked her in the eye.

"Don't focus on the 'what ifs'. Let's just focus on the situation at hand. You know that old song our teacher had us sing in fourth grade? 'Que sera, sera'. What will be, will be."

"Oh yeah…" she began to sing it, "When I was just a little girl."

"I asked my mother, what will I be," I continued.

"Will I be pretty, will I be rich."

"Here's what she said to me."

"Que sera, sera."

"Whatever will be, will be."

"The future's not ours, to see."

"Que sera, sera."

"What will be, will be."

I nodded.

"Exactly. Don't worry about what _will _happen. Worry about what _is_ happen_ing_."

She smiled.

"Thanks, Ari."

"No problem."

"If we get back home, when we get back home, you could be a motivational speaker."

I turned pale.

"Oh god, no. That would be horrible."

**THIS IS A DIVIDER!**

**Okay, so that song doesn't belong to me. Just a legal disclaimer.**

**Anyways, here is the QUESTION OF DOOM:**

**If you could tell any character/s in any of the LoTR movies/books ANYTHING… what would it be?**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	6. Someone Who I Did Not Expect

**Chapter 6: Someone Who I Did Not Expect**

Laurel

Ari and I were wearing long, flowy dresses that reached our ankles. I wanted something more practical for the journey, but women don't wear pants in the Middle Ages. I missed my jeans. For the first hour or so of walking, Ari and I talked quietly. Then, Sam came up to us.

"Miss Laurel, can you sing?" he asked.

I flushed red, and shrugged.

"If you want..."

"Sing Rolling in the Deep, Laurel!" Ari exclaimed.

I blushed even more.

"Oh.. okay…" I said before I began the song, "There's a fire starting in my heart,

Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark,

Finally I can see you crystal-clear,

Go ahead and sell me out,

And I'll lay your ship bare,

See how I leave with ev'ry piece of you,

Don't underestimate the things that I will do,

There's a fire starting in my heart,

Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark,

The scars of your love,

Remind me of us,

They leave me thinking that we almost had it all,

The scars of your love,

They leave me breathless,

I can't help feeling…

We could have had it all,

Rolling in the deep,

You had my heart inside of your hand,

But you played it,

To the beat,

Baby I have no story to be told(Ariana 'oohed'),

But I've heard one of you,

And I'm gonna make your head burn,

Think of me in the depths of your despair,

Making a home down there as mine sure won't be shared,

The scars of your love,

Remind me of us,

They leave me thinking that we almost had it all,

The scars of your love,

They leave me breathless,

I can't help feeling…

We could have had it all,

Rolling in the deep,

You had my heart inside of your hand,

But you played it,

To the beating,

Throw yourself through ev'ry open door,

Count your blessings to find what you look for,

Turn my sorrow into treasured gold(I noticed Gimli perk up at the mention of gold),

But pay me back in kind,

You reap just what you sow,

The scars of your love,

Remind me of us,

They leave me thinking that we almost had it all,

The scars of your love,

They leave me breathless,

I can't help feeling…

We could have had it all,

Rolling in the deep,

You had my heart inside of your hand,

But you played it,

To the beating,

Could have had it all,

Rolling in the deep,

You had my heart inside of your hand,

But you played it,

You played it,

You played it,

You played it,

To the beat."

Sam clapped, smiling.

"It's true, what they say. That Elves have lovely singing voices."

I felt my blush spread to my ears.

"Thank you. I took lessons in my world. They were worth the time, I guess."

He nodded enthusiastically. Ari grinned. A few hours later, we stopped and made camp for the night. I decided to acquaint myself with the rest of our companions. Gimli would probably hate me at first, since I was an Elf, Boromir would be neutral, and Legolas would most likely be at least a little courteous. I decided to start with Gimli. His reaction to me walking up to him? A hostile glare. I sighed.

"If we're going to be journeying together for who-knows-how-long, you might as well quit being so volatile. You're going to need to learn how to get along with Legolas and I. Even if we _are_ Elves."

He _hrrmphed_. I groaned.

"Fine, be that way."

I walked away from the Dwarf, shaking my head sadly. Ari approached me, a smirk on her face.

"So how was it when you tried to introduce yourself to him?" she asked, jerking her head towards Gimli.

I groaned again.

"He's absolutely _hopeless_, Ari. Won't even talk to me! Just huffs and shoots me angry looks!"

She snorted.

"I think you should try and talk with the people who _won't_ act like you're a criminal," she said before elbowing me in the side, "Like your crush."

I blushed.

"_A-ri!_" I hissed, "He can hear!"

She laughed.

"I know. That's why I mentioned him."

I blushed even more, my complexion most likely resembling a ripe tomato.

"You're so mean, Ari," I joked, gently pushing her.

She grinned.

"You flatter me, Laurel."

I rolled my eyes before hearing someone clear their throat. I turned around and saw, to my surprise, that Legolas was standing there, watching us.

"What were you two speaking about that made you laugh?" he asked.

"Things that concern us and what we think, sir. Nothing more, nothing less," Ari said smoothly.

I gave her a shocked look. Since when was she this confident? Legolas gave Ari a bemused grin.

"Of course, Lady Ariana."

He strode away, but I could tell that he was still listening in. Men. Honestly.

That night, after we had eaten, Ari and I sat at the edge of our camp, talking quietly about our home.

"Whenever I see those two," Ari whispered, pointing to Merry and Pippin, "I think of my brother."

In the dim light from the fire, I could see tear spring in her eyes.

"You miss him?" I asked.

"More than anything. He was an idiot, but the sweetest, most innocent idiot I've met. I can still remember how he used to call me Opal, and he would call you Songbird."

"Oh, yeah. He called Jayla Phoenix. Remember Jay? She's crazier than the both of us put together. Remember how she set her fridge on fire? And her parents had to call the fire department?"

Ari smiled.

"Yeah. And she was only four!"

I bit back a giggle.

"And the library. With all of the books. I spent hours looking at them and memorizing each word," I continued.

Ari nodded, then sighed sadly.

"D'you think we'll ever get back?" she asked, leaning back on the blanket she was sleeping on.

I stared at the stars.

"Maybe. Maybe not."

I suddenly put a clawed hand over my heart, then pushed outwards with it.

"What was that?" Ari said, raising an eyebrow.

"A little sign I read about in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. It's supposed to ward off evil."

She copied the gesture, squeezing her eyes shut. I could hear the prayer she said under her breath.

"I never asked you this, Laures, but what do you want to be?"

"A diplomat. So I can help talk out arguments between countries and their peoples," I said, glancing pointedly at Gimli and Legolas, "It seems like this world could use some diplomats, too."

Ari was silent for a moment before she spoke up.

"I want to be in the military."

I put my hands behind my head and thought for a while. We had such different inerests, yet we were best friends. What a strange thing. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

DREAM-O-VISION

_ "Laurel? Laurel?"_

_ I could not recognize the voice, but it wasn't Sauron's. I stepped blindly towards it._

_ "Hello? Who's there?" I called out._

_ "Come to me. We have much to discuss."_

_ I continued walking. I saw a small grey creature sitting on a brown… something. Suddenly, I realized that I was not human anymore. My arms were wings, my body lined with light brown feathers, my feet curved talons. I opened my mouth-no, my _beak_- to talk, but all that came out was a low hoot. I could understand what I had said, though._

_ "Who are you?" I had asked._

_ The creature made a sound that I guessed was laughter, then replied, "I am someone who you would not expect to be in this world. But that will all be important later. Come, sit with me."_

_ Another perch appeared next to the creature. I spread my wings and alighted onto it. The creature was a pale gray owl with golden eyes. She (I could tell that it was a she, don't ask how) swiveled her head towards me._

_ "I am Athena. You have heard of me, am I correct?"_

_ My eyes widened._

_ "Oh! Yes, Your Highness! Of course I have heard of you!" I did a sloppy bow._

_ "No need for formalities, Laurella. Now, you must be asking many questions in your head."_

_ I nodded._

_ "Yes, Athena. I am."_

_ "Such as how you came to be here, and if you will return home?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ "I can answer those two questions. My answer for the first is Hecate was having a bit of fun. My answer for the second is… I do not know. Neither does Apollo, as you will most likely be shocked to know. He cannot see what will occur in this world. Only that you and Ariana will be separated for some time in the near future."_

_ "Separated? When? Why? How?"_

_ She hooted grimly._

_ "I do not know. But you must be warned, wishing to come here was a dangerous thing to do. You will come close to Hades multiple times during this journey. But you are in safe hands so long as you stay with this Fellowship."_

_ "O-of course."_

_ She fanned out her left wing._

_ "But now, you must take your leave of this dream world. Someone who you care much for is trying to wake you."_

_ "Legolas?"_

_ She did her hoot-laugh again._

_ "I think so."_

My eyes snapped open. Legolas was leaning over me. He stepped back before I could conk him on the head.

"Good. You are awake. We are about to leave."

I nodded meekly and packed my things.

Ari and I walked together.

"What was your dream about? Mine had a flying Twizzler."

"A what? And my dream.. I spoke with Athena. Greek goddess of wisdom."

Ari gasped.

"Wait, what? You got to talk to a goddess? And I only got a flying Twizzler…"

She pretended to pout. I rolled my eyes.

"Ari, you drama queen."

**THIS IS A DIVIDER!**

**AN: So, here's an answer to my Question of Doom from Lydia(A Guest):**

'**God...hard question. Oh, I'd tell Legolas, "Kiss me, you fool!" I might come off as a stalker... But, I'd tell Pippin how adorable he is. What? He is!'**

**Here's my answer:**

**I'd just hug Boromir and tell him that I don't blame him for being corrupted.**


	7. SHAME!

**AN: I am so so so sorry for the wait! I've been busy. Also, I don't own LoTR or any of the songs mentioned/sung in this fanfic! ^.^ Here's an answer to the Question of Doom:**

**QueenOfGondor: I would tell Faramir that I loved him even if Denethor didn't. Or maybe I would just tell Denethor off for being nasty. :P**

**KEEP ANSWERING! I RUN ON YOUR AWESOME AMAZING EPICNESS!**

**There shall be some BoromirxOC in this chapter, along with the next few. Because I feel like it. And it's gonna be adorable. Just saying.**

**Chapter 7: SHAME!**

Ariana

My feet hurt. My legs ached. My pack was cutting off the circulation to my arm. And I hated it. So much. I envied Laurel for her experience in competitive running. She was a lot tougher than I. At least, on the outside. Her personality was still as soft as a kitten. Anyways. We walked for days, only stopping to make camp. I noticed that, during the duration of those days, Gimli began to warm up to Laurel, which I didn't think would happen until after we got out of Moria. One night, I spoke to Laurel about this change.

"I guess he's realized that Elves aren't all that bad. Either that or he thinks I'm pretty," she replied, lowering her voice for the latter sentence.

I suppressed a giggle.

"I forgot that he hits on almost every pretty girl he sees," I said in a hushed tone, unable to hide the grin on my face.

Laurel rolled her eyes.

"You are _so_ immature, Ari."

I snorted, then fell asleep on my makeshift… sleeping bag? When I opened my eyes, I was not in the camp.

DREAM-O-VISION

_"Ariana Opal Windchaser. I have been waiting to speak with you."_

_ The voice came from a young woman in full Greek battle armor, complete with a helmet topped by a colored plume. At least, it was under her arm. She was polishing a large, round shield. She beckoned me to sit by her, her gray eyes sparkling in the dim light._

_ "Athena?" I asked, recognizing the goddess from history, Greek mythology, and various other books._

_ She laughed._

_ "Yes, Ariana. Now come, sit with me."_

_ She gestured to a rock that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. I took a seat on it._

_ "I understand that Laurel has told you about her encounter with me?"_

_ I nodded._

_ "Yep!"_

_ "You are quite enthusiastic, I see. Even though your life may be at risk, you manage to maintain a positive attitude. That is a very good quality."_

_ "It is?"_

_ "If you can remain happy while others are grim, you can bring light to dark places."_

_ "Whaaaaaaaat?"_

_ She smiled kindly._

_ "You are an essential part of this company. Your joy will help draw your companions from despair."_

_ "So… I'm important!"_

_ She chuckled softly._

_ "Yes. You are quite important. Although.." she put on her helmet and stood, "Your fears may be crippling during this journey."_

_ I blanched._

_ "You know about my claustrophobia? And my nyctophobia(fear of the dark)?"_

_ "I am the goddess of wisdom, Ariana. I know much about you."_

_ "What should I do about what I'm afraid of? I can't exactly stick a paper bag over my head and say that I confronted my claustrophobia!"_

_ "That was not what I was going to suggest you do."_

_ "Huh?"_

_ "I will train you to overcome what you shy away from. Every night, you will be sent to this dream world so I can teach you."_

_ "Oh… thank you, Athena."_

_ "You will need it."_

_` "I know."_

Suddenly, I was jerked awake.

"Wake up, Ari! We're leaving!"

I flicked Laurel's nose.

"Athena just promised to teach me how to overcome my fears. Then you woke me up, jerk."

"Oh, well. Would you rather be left behind?"

"Shaddup."

I got to my feet and packed up my stuff.

"One more day, Ari."

"Unti-oh, yeah…"

We were silent for a moment.

"We should go catch up with the others..." I said.

"Yeah. Race ya!"

Before I could argue, she bolted. I swore, then ran to catch up.

"No fair! You got a head start! And prior training!"

"Should have done more than just think about joining track team!" she said in a sing-song voice.

"But basketball is my calling!"

"You mean, running around a court and shouting 'I'm open!' to a bunch of gangly pubescent teenage boys."

I growled and raced after her, finally coming up to Laurel.

"That is _so_ not what basketball is!"

"Not from what I've seen!"

"Shaddup!"

"Nevaaar!"

"Remind me why we're BFFs?"

"Because we've known each other since we were two, we're both addicted to sugar, and we're both addicted to LoTR?"

"Thanks for reminding me," I said, hugging her tightly.

"You're welcome!"

I grinned. This was a sort of ritual for us. We would argue, then one of us would ask why we were best friends, then the other would explain. My attention drifted elsewhere.

"Gimli's staring at you, Laures," I whispered.

"Oh, be quiet, Ari."

THIS IS A DIVIDER!

We stopped at some ruins that I forgot the name of. Laurel was giggling, watching as Merry and Pippin sparred with Boromir. I was cheering the two on, not caring about the funny looks I received. This would be the last peaceful moment we would have for a while.

"Remember the last-day-of-school-before-winter-break party we had in 5th grade?" I suddenly asked Laurel.

"The one where we had the hot cocoa and candy canes?"

"Yeah, and we stuck the candy canes in the cocoa…"

"And they melted into crazy shapes and some were sharp enough to use as weapons," she finished, smiling fondly at the memory.

"Then there were the two kids that started a candy cane swordfight…"

"We were all in a circle around them, laughing and cheering…"

"And then the teachers started rooting for their favorite students…"

"Absolute chaos," we finished.

"I miss home. So much," Laurel sighed, closing her eyes.

"Me too. I wish that I could have my little kitty again. Hold her tight.. I'd even be happy to have my brother. He was such a jerk sometimes, but he always came through for me."

"I miss my cats, too. And my older siblings," Laurel said.

Laurel is the youngest of six kids. The oldest kids in her family are her twin brothers, followed closely by the triplets, two boys, one girl, at the end is my best friend in the entire world.

"You have a lot of older siblings. Lots of people to spread the sibling-ly love to!"

She snorted.

"Oh, yes, quite a lot! In fact, I have to write twice the letters to them or else they won't know how much I miss them!"

She was referring to the fact that every. Single. One. Of. Her. Siblings. Was. In. College. As in, Jake and Ray were at Stanford, the Terrible Twosome (Frank and Harold) were at Harvard, and Gina was currently at Davis. Her entire family was composed of epically awesome nerds. Still thinking about her amazingly crazy relatives, I absentmindedly looked at the sky. A small cloud of black birds. Sh-t. I prodded Laurel's shoulder and nodded towards them. She clapped a hand to her mouth and let out a strangled gasp.

"F- they're here…"

I nodded meekly.

"Get ready for him to notice…"

"What is that?" Sam asked, pointing to the cloud.

"Nothing, just a wisp of cloud," Gimli replied bluntly.

"It is moving fast. Against the wind," Boromir joined in the conversation.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas exclaimed.

"Hide!" Aragorn yelled.

Laurel scrambled to find a hiding place. I was rooted to the spot by my own fear. My eyes were wide, and my legs were stiff. Suddenly, someone's fingers wrapped around my wrist and pulled me out of view. It wasn't Laurel, I could tell by how the person's hands were rough and calloused. I turned to thank my savior and saw, to my surprise, Boromir. I mouthed a quick _thank you_. He nodded slightly and mouthed back _you are welcome_. I swallowed nervously and turned towards our former campsite. There were a few minutes of pained silence.. then the crows flew away. I hesitantly emerged from the hiding place, avoiding Boromir's gaze. Laurel glanced at me, eyebrows raised slightly. I gave her a look that said _I'll tell you later_.

"Spies of Saruman. The South Passage is being watched," Gandalf said, "We must take the Pass of Caradhas."

I let out an unwilling whimper. I felt a hand on my shoulder and didn't bother to see who it was. It was probably Boromir or Aragorn. Most likely the latter, but I still suspected the former. As we left, Laurel came up to me, eyes wide.

"Omigosh omigosh omigosh!" she squeed, grinning like a madman, "He _totally_ likes you!"

Laurel was sort of a matchmaker/relationship expert back home. She knew everything about true love. She had matched Jake and Ray with their current girlfriends. And they were already planning a double wedding. I swear that that girl can work miracles. When I heard her say those four words… I freaked.

"Wh-what? N-no! Why would you think that?!" I stuttered nervously, sweat forming on my brow.

"Dude, you _know_ that I am the expert on this stuff," she insisted, poking my shoulder to emphasize her point.

I covered my eyes.

"If I get too attached to him, I'll completely snap when… you know," I said, eyes darting to Sam and Frodo, who were listening in on our conversation.

Laurel followed my gaze and made a sweeping motion towards the Hobbits with one hand.

"Shoo, we're having a private talk."

They walked away, but I could tell that they were still trying to eavesdrop.

THIS IS A DIVIDER!

I used to like snow. I used to think of it as fluffy, soft, and sparkly. That was before I was sent to Middle Earth. Now, I think of it as evil. IT'S EVIL I TELL YOU! Well, Laurel is looking at me like I'm grade-A insane, so I'm going to go on with this story. So there we were on the side of the mountain. Not much scenery there. Except for rocks and snow. Sometime during the beginning of the walk, I decided to talk to Boromir about the thing with him rescuing me… thing.

"Hey, Boromir?" I asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

He turned to look at me. Was it just me or did his eyes linger on mine..? Meh, it was probably just my imagination.

"Yes, Lady Ariana?"

"Just Ariana, please. But I have a question… Um… god, this is weird for me, but... whydidyousavemebackthere?"

"Excuse me? I did not understand that."

I took a deep breath.

"Why did you save me back there? When the Crebain-bird-things came."

"You needed to be saved, Ariana."

I blinked rapidly as he walked away. What? Why do boys have to be so… cryptic when it comes to answering questions? Well, they probably think the same of us girls… Ahem. After the (awkward) conversation with Boromir, I went to consult the love expert herself.

"Yo, Laures! I asked Boromir a question and-"

"He gave you a confusing and/or vague answer."

"H-how?"

"It's a normal boy thing."

"You are, like, the expert on them."

"They're a totally different species. And I live with four of them. I know more than I should."

I did a dramatic gasp.

"They ruined your innocence?! Shame on them!" I said, shaking my head in mock disapproval.

"Yes, shame!" she laughed, doing the 'shame sign'.

I did the gesture as well, snickering softly.

"Shame, shame, shame!"

"_What are you two giggling about_?" came a voice from behind us.

We both jumped. I whirled around and saw Pippin and Merry staring at us in confusion.

"Girl stuff. A.K.A. How Laurel's brothers stole her innocence."

Laurel stifled a laugh. The two still looked hopelessly lost.

"Stole her innocence? What do you mean?"

"She lives-I mean, _lived_-with four boys. Five, including her father. So that means that she knows stuff that any normal 15 year old girl shouldn't know for a long time."

They both looked very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Oh… we should get moving now…"

"Yes, leave you to your… girl stuff.."

They walked away as quickly as they could.

"That was reeeeeeeaaaaally awkward."

"So you say."

We walked in silence for a while.

"Do you think that they miss us?"

"Huh?"

The question caught me off guard.

"Well… Um…. They might… unless.."

"Unless what?! Do you think that our families don't love us?!"

"What?! No! I was gonna say 'unless time isn't passing in our world'!"

"Oooooohhhhhhhh. Now I get it."

I heard a _thunk_ as Frodo tripped and fell. Aragorn stopped him. I saw Boromir pick something up. The One Ring, of course! How could I forget this scene?! He stared at the Ring as if it were the only thing in existence. I poked him.

"Boromir? Snap outta it! That's probably not healthy!"

I continued poking him until I went into turbo-poke mode, but he ignored me.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt… over so small a thing… such a little thing…" he murmured.

I was tempted to smack his hand, but I knew that I had to let the story play itself out.

"Boromir!" Aragorn shouted, interrupting my (extremely randumb) thoughts, "Give the Ring to Frodo!"

Boromir stood there for a moment, frozen. Again, I resisted the urge to give him a good slap. After what seemed like years, he unfroze and walked up to Frodo. He handed Frodo the Ring.

"As you wish! I care not!"

He ruffled Frodo's hair and walked rather stiffly away. I glanced at him.

"I was this close," I said, gesturing with my fingers, "to slapping you."

"Why would you slap me?" he asked as we began to trudge through the snow again.

"To snap you out of your trance. You wouldn't stop staring at the Ring."

"That makes sense," he said, nodding.

"Really? Wow, I made sense!"

I saw the skeptical look in his eyes and narrowed mine.

"You're lying."

"How did you know?"

"Everyone's got their secrets right?"

He sighed as I walked over to Laurel. I could just barely hear him mutter something under his breath about women. A few hours later, we were wading through snow while Legolas and Laurel walked on top. I was freezing my butt off. Hey, I'm not used to below-zero weather, alright? My environment's usual temp is 80oF.

"There is a fell voice in the air!" Legolas shouted, interrupting my not-very-kind thoughts.

I blinked and tilted my head, trying to hear. All I got was muffled murmurs. My ears were frozen. Great.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf screamed.

There was a loud _crack_ and ginormous lumps of rock and snow came falling down towards us. I shrieked and threw my arms over my head, ducking quickly to avoid getting hit. The rocks didn't hit us.

"He is trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn yelled, "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf protested.

I admit, I was terrified out of my mind. Tears were flowing freely down my face as I tried to cover myself. Someone noticed.

"Is something wrong, Ariana?"

Boromir. Sh*t.

"I-I'm scared.." I whispered, wiping my eyes.

"Do not be. You are safe with us."

I hiccupped softly and nodded. Gandalf was fighting Saruman's spell. There was a huge, thunderous, _BOOM_!

"Avalanche!" Laurel roared over the wind.

In less than ten seconds, we were completely buried. I pushed my way to the surface, helped by strong hands on my wrist. As I reached the surface, I saw Boromir's face. Quite close to mine, actually. He backed away, seeing that I was alive.

"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir yelled, "Make for the Gap of Rohan, and take the west road to my city!"

Meanwhile, I was just standing there, shivering and coughing. Boromir noticed(good god, how[and why] does he keep doing that?!) and pulled me closer, pulling his cloak around my shoulder. I don't think he saw the dark red blush that had spread across my face. I could vaguely hear Laurel humming 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight?' from the Lion King. I made a mental note to get her back for that one.

"No! The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued.

"If we cannot go over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the mines of Moria!" Gimli shouted.

"Let the Ring-bearer decide," Gandalf replied.

"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the Hobbits!" Boromir yelled, and, as an afterthought, he added under his breath, "And the lady…"

"Frodo?" Gandalf insisted.

"We will go through the mines."

"So be it."

**AN: Good god, why do you guys have to be so amazingly epic?! Ahem. My next Questions of Doom(that's right, Question**_**s**_**) are the following:**

**If you could have ONE wish, what would it be?**

**If you could hug ONE character from ANY book/movie/etc., who would you choose? Why?**

**I would wish to go to Middle Earth.**

**I would hug Boromir! He's probably a really sweet person on the inside, and(dare I say it?) he's kinda cute…**

**SEE YA SOON!**


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